English Literature: Romeo and Juliet Flashcards

• Love Overview


  Love is refereed to as something that has the ability to take over and empower somebody, often leading them into making terrible mistakes and costing themselves. This is done at times alongside the motifs of the stars as well as the theme fate and destiny.
• "O brawling love! O loving hate!"


  Love Act 1 Scene 1: Love is shown here as unrequited and confusing leading to Romeo questioning how it can be such a good thing. The use of paradox here as well as hyperbole helps to show how lost Romeo is in how things have gone.
• "Cupids arrow; she hath Dians wit."


  Love Act 1 Scene 1: Shown as something decided by fate and the gods when saying that though he has "cupids arrow." Dian is the goddess of wisdom.
• "I have a soul of lead"


  Love Act 1 Scene 2: The word 'lead' draws connotation to poison showing the damaging affect love can have on somebody.
• "is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, to boisterous and it pricks like a thorn."


  Love Act 1 Scene 2: Love is shown by Romeo as ugly. The verbs used help make the abstract noun of love to represent in a more physical way. In Romeo's case he shows it as disgusting.
• "the orchard walls are high and hard to climb" and "the place is death considering who thou art."


  Love Act 2 Scene 2: Shown here as empowering when Juliet is questioning why Romeo has come back as 'the orchard walls are high and hard to climb' and that 'the place is death considering who thou art.' To a normal person nobody would normally attempt this feat if these were the circumstances,e.g death. However Romeo love has given him a reason, empowered him, to do this.
• "Two of the fairest stars in all of heaven"


  Love Act 2 Scene 2: Shakespeare's use of the motif of the stars to show love to meant to be - as well as the referencing to heaven making love seem very much holyful. The adjective 'fairest' also shows love, especially for young people, as based off looks and not personality.
• "It is the east and Juliet is the sun."


  Love Act 2 Scene 2: Another way love is shown is as necessary when Romeo says 'It is the east and Juliet is the sun.' Describing Juliet as the sun, when thinking of the planets, another motif, without it there would be no light; which draws a connotation to hope and heaven.
• "Take him and cut him out into little stars."


  Love Act 3 Scene 2: The motif of the stars is then used by Juliet during her soliloquy; "cut him out into little stars." This is interesting as it shows Juliet love for Romeo as somewhat forever lasting as stars take ages to stop shining light - again drawing the something from what was said about Juliet
• "O that deceitful dwell in such a gorgeous palace"

  Love Act 3 Scene 2: However love is also shown here as superficial, more specifically for the youth. When Juliet claims Romeo has a terrible personality when referring to Romeo after he kills Tybalt. She does this to explain her confusing for how a man so handsome can have such a poor sense of judgement and personality; she only ever cared about his looks.
• "find him! Give this ring to my true knight."


  Love Act 3 Scene 2: Love is then shown as blinding with Juliet looking over this and instead asking the nurse to go 'find him!" And "my true knight.' This is odd as she completely glosses over the fact that Romeo has just killed Tybalt and still refers to him as such a noble man - as a night should be.
• "green-sickness","baggage" and "tallow-face."

  Love Act 4 Scene 5 : From a family perspective love shown as a cause for empathy when Capulet describes the fake dead Juliet as 'like an untimely frost upon the sweetest flower of all the fields.' This shows Capulet' regret for how he had treated Juliet when before during their argument earlier she refereed to her as 'green-sickness','baggage' and 'tallow-face.' Not a rose.
• "Joys are buried."


  Love Act 4 Scene 5: Love is also shown as not forever as Capulet claims after Juliet death his "joys are buried." Buried referring to someone in a tomb.
• "Alack the day" and "most lamentable day, most woeful day."


  Love Act 4 Scene 5: "Alack the day" is repeated by the nurse multiple times by the nurse when referring to Juliet showing how much she cared and love her; she did lactate for her. This echoed by Lady Capulet "most lamentable day, most woeful day."
• Action Overview


  In the play, Shakespeare shows Action as a thoughtless and unneeded. This was shown by Shakespeare through the reaction of characters and the harsh decisions made by them in response.
• "Ancient grudge breaks to new mutiny"


  Action Act 1 Scene 1: Shakespeare shows action as long lasting with the use of the adjective "ancient." It helps to show that though this "grudge" may of happened a long time ago, but all it takes is a shock to bring back new "mutiny."
• "Civil blood makes civil hands unclean"


  Action Act 1 Scene 1: The use of "Civil,"I feel helps to show Action as public as is has been shown as it refers to multiple civilians being part of these incidents.
• "Do you bite your thumb at me sir"


  Action Act 1 Scene 1: Here Action is shown by Shakespeare as needed to state your authority and retain your power. The biting of one "thumb" helps to show how insult like that cannot be tolerated - action must be taken.
• "Thou art a villain"


  Action Act 3 Scene 1: Here Shakespeare shows Action as provoked. Tybalt could easily "be satisfied", as Romeo says, but refuses. He wants a fight as well as some action. This action is not needed and the insult of calling Romeo a "villain" helps to show how provoking someone can cause action.
• "Make it a word and a blow"


  Action Act 3 Scene 1: Here Shakespeare shows action as provoked. The insults Mercutio is firing at Tybalt aren't needed - he wants to fight Romeo not him. The verb "blow" is use to refer to the to fighting rather than just talking through their differences.
• "They have made worms meat off me"


  Action Act 3 Scene 1: Here Shakespeare shows action as gruesome. The term "worms meat" helps to suggest that the wounds Mercutio has faced in his brawl are both gruesome and painful. The wounds kill Mercutio off and further show Action as unneeded.
• "Fired eyed fury be my conduct now"


  Action Act 3 Scene 1: Shows Action as Justice based as to start off with Romeo doesn't really want to kill off Tybalt. But after Mercutio's death he feels it is, and in my opinion is right, to brawl with Tybalt.
• "O I am fortunes fool"


  Action Act 3 Scene 1: Here Shakespeare shows Action as inevitable. The reference to fortune and fate helps to suggest this as their is no way of avoiding what happens. Which I feel is naive as Romeo has already decided in justice to kill Tybalt.
• "Either thou, or I, or both must go with him"


  Action Act 3 Scene 1: Here Action is shown as naive. Romeo or Tybalt do not have to die in order to sort out Justice. The Action is unneeded; they could easily settle their squabbles in another way.
• "O I am slain"


  Action Act 5 Scene 3: Here Shakespeare shows Action as unneeded and tragic. Romeo is stupid and naive. Action is not needed to get passed Paris - why kill him? It's stupid, wrong and no it even done in justice. The verb "slain" helps to show to the audience how badly wounded he is by the action. Action is bad, very, very bad.
• "O happy dagger"


  Action Act 5 Scene 3: Here Shakespeare shows Action as a desperate act that can be carried out in and Act of love., The adjective "happy" helps to show how happy and willing is to die in order to be with her love, Romeo.
• Friendship Overview


  In the play Shakespeare shows friendship as an empowering but dangerous thing that has the ability to ruin and tarnish the lives of people.
• "Prick love for pricking" and "You are a lover; borrow Cupid's wings"

  Friendship Act 1: Here Shakespeare shows friendship as comforting as well as encouraging. Shakespeare's use of Mercutio's facetious attitude shows how close friendship can be as he knows how to raise Romeo's spirits. (This is shown through two quotes.)
• "We must have you dance"


  Friendship Act 1: Here Shakespeare shows friendship as encouraging. Without Mercutio's persistence with his friend Romeo, he would of never met his love Juliet meaning that the play might of ended completely differently.
• "Be satisfied"

  Friendship Act 3 Scene 1: Here Shakespeare shows friendship as powerful. Where Tybalt able to just "be satisfied" and accept Romeo's request of just being acquaintances. Than him and Mercutio would not have died.
• "I fought all for the best"

  Friendship Act 3 Scene 1: Here friendship is shown as apologetic as Romeo did what he did for the safety of others, not to kill Mercutio. However the use of the verb "fought" helps to suggest that sometimes friendship can be dangerous with verb referencing violence.
• "A plague on both your houses"

  Friendship Act 1 Scene 1: Here Shakespeare shows Friendship as strong but breakable. The use of a curse by Mercutio helps to allure to him and Romeo friendship being all but never. However it can also be seen as strong as it took murder itself to end their friendship.
• "Do as thou wilt for I hath done with thee" and "I'll ne'er acknowledge thee"


  Act 3 Scene 5: Here Shakespeare shows friendship as breakable - even if it is as close as family friendship. The use of the word "thee" in both quotes to describe their daughter, Juliet, helps to show how little they suddenly care about Juliet showing how quickly friendship can turn to disgust.
• "Speakest thou from thy heart" and "And from my soul too"


  Act 3 Scene 5: Here the Friendship between the Nurse Andy Juliet is shown as truthful. The referencing to the "heart" and "soul" helps to show how caring and good-willed the nurses friendship for Juliet is.
• "I'll raise her statue in pure gold"


  Act 5 Scene 3: Here Shakespeare shows friendship as forced as, though the new friendship between the Capulets and the Montagues, the only reason why it exists is because of the death of their kids. And so the statue "in pure gold" I feel is good as to what new relationship this represent, but it shouldn't have had to happen just based off of the circumstances.
• Power Overview


  In the play power is shown as an aggressive, dangerous thing that should be treated with respect. The use of threats and soliloquies are examples of how Shakespeare showed this.
• "Purple"


  Power Act 1 Scene 1: Here Shakespeare use "purple" to show power. This is because that specific colour draws connotations to royalty and power. It shows power as inherited and lawful.
• "Throw" and "Hear"


  Power Act 1 Scene 1: Here the use of imperatives such as quoted helps to show power by Shakespeare as forceful and unchangeable.
• "If ever"


  Power Act 1 Scene 1: Here Shakespeare shows power as threatening. Surprisingly he did this through the use threats to show just how forceful power can be.
• "He shall be endured"


  Power Act 1 Scene 5: Here Shakespeare shows power as authoritative. Here the use of the imperative "shall" shows respected and forceful Capulet can be.